Ice hatch for refrigerator cars



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June ll, 1940. s. A. s'rEuBER ICE HATCH FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Jan. 24. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 d@ E x June 11, 1940. G. A. STEUBER 2,204,164

ICE HATCH FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Jan. 24, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE George A. Steuber, Peniield, N.

Despatch Shops, Inc.,

York

Y., assilnor to a corporation of New Application January 24; 1939, Serial No. 252,899

1 Claim.

The object of my invefi'tion is to provide an ice hatchway cover or doonfof a refrigerator car with means to support'l tlfe combined weight of the door and closure plug carried thereby when the 5 plug and door are opened for ventilation, said means functioning also as a pry bar in lifting the door and plug from sealed position; and with these and other objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and combination of 1n parts hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure -l is a detail top plan view of a car showing my improved hatch cover.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of ll the hatchway cover, the cover being also shown in dotted lines in partial open position.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the top of a car showing my improved hatchway and cover.

g The reference numeral I designates the roof of a refrigerator car of any approved type provided with an ice hatch opening 2.

' The ice hatch opening 2 is preferably round or circular and at its periphery, preferably the g framing 3, extends above the plane of the roof; this framing is faced by an integral lining or cover comprising the flange l, top 5 and facing I. the latter extending downward to the bottom of the hatchway.

n 'Ihe door 'I is hinged at 8 in any suitable manner and is provided with a handle 9.

At its free end, and midway its sides, the door 1 is provided with a bracket casting III suitably secured thereto and provided with a depending n flange II extending in front of a portion of the free edge of the door, and also provided with two spaced upwardly extending lugs I2 having forwardly extending arms Il, each having an opening I4 near their ends, the lugs I2 being also provided with openings I5 in which a sealing pin Il is normally housed, said pin being connected to the'casing Il by means of the chain Ita,

A bracket casting I1 is suitably secured to the top of the car having two spaced upwardly extending arms Il between which the hatch opening lever I9 is pivotally mounted, said lever being provided at its pivoted end with a segmental gear 29 at one end of which is a stop 2I, said gear meshing with the toothed rack 22, or casting I2. The hatch operating lever I 9 is heldin closed position on the casting 23 by means of an overlapping portion which is an integral part of 23 and locked -in place by means of pivoted latch ll-A which, when in locked position, can be l. sealed through opening 2l.

The door lever I9 is provided on its under face with an elongated tooth rack 26.

Th2 plug 21 has a base 28, a circular side member 2 and a top'member 39 which may be of any suitable material. The periphery of the top and 5 bottom members 28 and 39 extend beyond the periphery of the side member thus forming a peripheral recess in which suitable packing material II is secured. Suitable packing and sealing material l2 is secured around the periphery of the plug 21 and held in position by means of suitable material Il.

A plurality of connections are provided, arranged equidistantly from each other and from the center of the plug and the door, for suspending the plug from the door and resiliently forcing the plug and holding it to its seat when the door is closed. Each of these connections comprises a bolt Il suitably and rigidly secured to the plug and extending upwardly above the plug and provided at its upper end with an adjustable nut 35, the upper end of said bolt projecting through an opening in the bottom of a guide bracket or U-shaped stirrup 39 rigidly secured to the under side of the door 1. A coiled spring 3l is positioned around each bolt 34 between the bottom of the stirrup 39 and the cover 39; washers 38 and 39 being placed at the top and bottom of said springs.

As will be seen from the drawings, the hatchway and plug are circular and each has a beveled periphery and there is insulation lil between the top and bottom of the plug and that the flexible insulation II, 32 and covering I3 enable the plug to adapt itself to any unevenness in the opening. This makes for a positive sealing unit at all times. 'I'he beveled sides of both the opening or hatchway and the plug assure the positiveness of this sealing unit irrespective of the shrinking or wearing of the sealing material and its cover.

While the door 1 is in closed position the springs 31 exert a pressure on the plug 21 and hold it firmly on its seat against leakage.

To raise the door 1 the latch 23-A is moved on its pivot from its position on top of door lever I9 whereupon the lever is pulled outwardly in a horizontal motion from under portion 2l which is an integral part of sealing casting 22 and pulled upward and swung on its pivot 4I, thus moving the door and its rack 22 upwardly, when the limit of movement between the racks 22 and 2li is reached the vdoor 1 ismoved by the handle il to fully open position, or to any degree of opening for ventilation, and when that degree is reached the rack 26, on the underside of the door u lever Il, is intermeshed with the rack 2 on the door and held in that position by passing the pin il over the lever and through theopenihgs Il lo! the arms Il. Of course, it is understood'thot the plug 21 is raised and lowered with the door.

Preferably I prefer to place a suitable yielding material as a seal between the door and the hatch frame.

'111e lock 23 has a pivoted latch 23`A .which is held in locked position by overhenging portion 2l of casting 23.

a notch oi 2l directly under the overhanging top portion o! 23 noted to be 25. The pivoting lof Il-A into locked position insures the compression in case Il vibrates out'oi the notch of Il.'

The hatch is sealed by inserting seal ribbon. through holes 24 which line up when II-A' is i'nlocked position.

but of less heighth than the spring;

Operating lever il is dropped into the groove oi' Il and slid horizontally into' What I. olcim is:

The combination with the ice hatch o! o refrigeretor car, oi e door lor the hatch, a. lever pivoted to the cor to open seid door, a longitudinal series o! rock teeth on the under iaoe of seid lever, a segmental pinion on the pivoted end of the lever, a. toothed rack secured to the i'ree end ofthe door enssgeable with the segmental pinion, whereby .movement o! the lever causes the segmental pinion to operate the rack on the door to give the door a preliminary opening.' said ment.- l

GEORGEA. S'IIUBER.. 

